Talk:Somebody else's problem/Archives/2019
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silly
Nobody else said "that's someone else's problem" till Adams 'coined' it...? we know he heard someone else say it pre-1980 - ie throughout history thus I challenge it being "his" phrase 79.76.101.191 (talk) 10:07, 14 August 2017 (UTC)
edit: and while were at it, I'm coining "that's my money" "don't do that" and "nice weather we're having" 79.76.101.191 (talk) 10:10, 14 August 2017 (UTC)
Having noticed this belief being raised at Talk:Diffusion of responsibility - yes, this seems a stretch, and there are certainly print uses of the term as a distinct phrase well before Life, The Universe and Everything was published. I've removed the claims that Adams' book was the "origin" of the phrase, and added a 1976 quote (which explicitly refers to the phrase as a phrase, rather than using the three words by chance). --Lord Belbury (talk) 20:05, 30 April 2019 (UTC)
- What was the context though? I don't think it can be disputed that Adams popularised the phrase. Adpete (talk) 00:00, 10 October 2019 (UTC)
- It's quoted in the article: "One major obstacle to effective bureaucratic action on housing can be called the principle of somebody else's problem." - the italics are in the original text. --Lord Belbury (talk) 22:07, 10 October 2019 (UTC)
- Yes I saw that after I posted, though more context would be nice. But I think it is almost certain that Adams popularised the phrase, so it is the origin in that sense. Adpete (talk) 00:38, 11 October 2019 (UTC)